Mother's Day is just around the corner (May 11th, for the truly preoccupied). In our experience, if there's one thing a mom really wants, it's to spend the day with her kids. So we're thinking, what better way to celebrate than a beautiful, organic meal from an eco-eatery?
Antarctica may not be warming as fast as computer models project; windpower and solar companies boom; and Wal-Mart offers state government free expert energy audits. It’s your Thursday edition of The Daily Five:
Climate Models Overheat Antarctica: Sometimes being wrong is good news. A new report from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) suggests concern about warming in Antarctica may be overstated. NCAR scientist Andrew Monaghan says that while warming is clearly happening elsewhere, the best climate models consistently show greater heating than has been historically observed. Why the divergence? It seems that the models assume more water vapor in the Antarctic atmosphere than is actually present. (Newswise)
Cooking at home is a great way to ensure a healthy meal; so we asked nutritionist Julie Lerner Grayson for the dish on the best preparation methods.
Steaming veggies retains flavor, color and nutrients. Boil 2 inches of water in a pot, put veggies in a steaming basket and cover. Once cooked, splash with cool water to stop the cooking process.
Blanching, or quick boiling, breaks down vegetables’ fiber, which helps digestion. Boil water, add a pinch of salt, drop in vegetables and lower heat, cooking until bright. Rinse in cool water.
Stir-Frying uses a little healthy fat to cook foods quickly (canola oil works well). Brush the wok or pan with oil, heat, add food and stir constantly.
Sautéing requires oil that doesn’t burn easily (try grapeseed, canola, avocado or coconut). Try sautéing in broth to reduce calories. Add food to a very hot pan (food should be totally dry), shaking occasionally to ensure even cooking.
Poaching fish is easy and low-cal. Bring a broth to a simmer and add your fillet (fish should be fully submerged); cover and cook for about 5 minutes.
What is pH anyway? Most of us know what an acid is, but many of us are confused by what a base is, and what the acids and bases have to do with each other, or what they mean to our health is even more of a mystery. It turns out that many diseases rampant in today's society may have a common cause.
Just how green is the Internet? Going virtual has the potential to save significant amounts of energy, with a recent study predicting that Internet services could reduce carbon emissions by staggering 1 billion tons.
But look beyond the green hype, and the web has a dark secret - at the other end of your Internet cable, humming away, and hidden from sight, are thousands of energy hungry datacenters, running 24/7 and estimated to be using energy equivalent to all of the color televisions in the US. Worldwide datacenter energy usage has doubled since 2001 and is set to double again by 2011.
Google is today’s biggest datacenter operator, having more than twice the server capacity of any other firm in the world, but this could be set to change. The proposed merger of Microsoft and Yahoo would create a rival Internet giant with similarly huge capacity, creating new competition at many different levels.
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The start of green competition?
Aware of their environmental footprint, Google launched a massive renewable energy investment program last year, making Google one of the most eco-friendly destinations on the web. So how green is Micro-Yahoo-Soft in comparison? Could the new web giants start competing not only for web users, but also for carbon credits? And how might these champions of technological innovation shape the future of green computing? 
Energy supplies
Valentine's day is a conflicting holiday of which people typically fall into two categories. First, the die hard romantics who thrive on the sentiments that Valentine's day brings. Second, the bitter and cynical few who are quick to blame this "Hallmark" holiday as coprorate conspiracy to increase consumption. Regardless, when it comes to socially conscious gifts of the heart there is something for everyone. The Green Guide recently came out with their list of V-Day gift ideas, and below are some of our favs:
WorldofGood.com: Ethically sourced gifts, housewares and accessories.
Organic Style: Buy Organic Roses and 5% goes to charity.
Furturenatural: For Natural and Organic Pampering.
EconsciousMarket: For gifts that support charities (50% goes to a charity).
Whatever category you fall in, single or coupled, take a moment to appreciate all the loved one's in your life. Or, if you prefer to stay cynical and bitter, at least forego the bon bons and consider curling up with some fair trade chocolate instead.
Oh, the woes of Teflon. Dangerously bad for the environment (and potentially humans), but so much easier to clean than stainless steel. Now, the best of both worlds is up for grabs thanks to the Home Shopping Network.
Green Interests: daily improvement in eco- consciousness and ...
